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Americans Stay True to Their Local Schools

This article contains findings from the 35th
Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward
the Public Schools, released on Aug. 20 in Washington, D.C.

The 2003 PDK/Gallup poll* on public schools reinforces a finding
commonly seen in education surveys: the closer Americans are to the
schools they're being asked about, the more likely they are to say
they approve of them. Almost 7 in 10 public school parents (68%)
answer "A" or "B" when asked what grade they would give to the
school their oldest child attends. And nearly half of all U.S.
adults (48%) give the local schools in their community an A or
B.

However, roughly one in four Americans (26%) give the national
public school system overall a grade of A or B. Media attention to
state budget shortfalls and specific crisis-plagued school
districts such as those in New York City may have Americans
worried. But despite that bad press, Americans' likelihood to give
their local public schools high marks has gradually increased over
the last 20 years, from 31% giving an A or B in 1983 to 48%
today.

Several demographic groups grade their local schools lower than
the national average. Just 30% of nonwhites, for example, give
their community schools an A or B, compared to 52% of whites.
Because substantial numbers of nonwhites live in urban areas, it is
no surprise that just 30% of city dwellers give their local public
schools high marks, versus 52% of suburbanites and 58% of rural
residents. Forty-five percent of respondents who have no children
in school give the community schools an A or B grade, as do 55% of
parents with children currently enrolled in public school.

It's the Economy -- Again

Despite the good marks given to local public schools, Americans
acknowledge that these schools do have problems. Since 1966, the
PDK/Gallup poll has been asking people about problems facing their
local schools. Funding woes currently top Americans' list of school
concerns, but that's only a recent phenomenon.

Discipline topped the list for 16 of the first 17 PDK/Gallup
polls. Drugs moved to the top position in 1986 and stayed there for
six years. In 2001, after the economic downturn had officially
begun, funding and financial problems tied for the top spot with
lack of discipline. In 2002, financial problems surpassed all
others on the "biggest problem" list. This issue remains in first
place this year, with 25% of Americans naming financial problems as
the most important problem facing their community schools.

Discipline issues, which dominated the list for so many years,
have retreated to the No. 2 position with 16% of mentions, and
drugs are named by just 9% of the population. Fourteen percent
mention overcrowded schools as the most important problem facing
schools.

Bottom Line

Why do public school parents give high marks to their
own children's schools when most Americans have a negative
impression of the country's schools overall? One answer is that
they have firsthand knowledge of those schools, and witness their
accomplishments on a day-to-day basis through the progress of their
children. Many parents also volunteer time in their children's
schools and get to know the teachers and staff personally.

But firsthand experience is probably just part of the
explanation. Parents are not only emotionally invested in the
success of their children's schools; they are often financially
invested as well. Obviously, public schools are supported largely
through local tax dollars. In addition, homeowners are somewhat
further invested in their local communities' schools because real
estate investments frequently depend, in part, on the reputation of
the local schools. Thus, Americans may, to some degree, tailor
their perceptions according to their self-interest.

Anne Burns, a New Jersey mother of four, would have given her
local school an A. And that rating may have been influenced by a
mixture of both emotional and financial investment. "We moved here
solely because of the excellent reputation of the public schools
and the opportunities they would provide the children. But, having
said that, I'm also thrilled that my house has more than doubled in
value."

*Findings are based on telephone interviews with a random
sample of 1,011 U.S. adults, aged 18 and older, conducted from May
28 to June 18, 2003. For results based on this sample, one can say
with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling
and other random effects is ±3 percentage points.

Slightly more Americans agree (52%) than disagree (45%) that the federal government is responsible for making sure all Americans have healthcare coverage. This balance of views is similar to last year.

Americans' daily self-reports of spending averaged $98 in November, up from $93 in October. The latest figure is the highest average recorded for the month of November since Gallup began tracking consumer spending in 2008.

Americans are now almost evenly split on whether to amend the U.S. Constitution to replace the Electoral College with a popular vote system for electing presidents. In the past, Americans preferred the popular vote.